Tan Sri Dato' Ahmad Kamil bin Jaafar was born on 27 August 1937 in Kulim, Kedah. He received his secondary education at the Bukit Mertajam High School from 1946 until 1957. Then, he continued his studies at the Malay College Kuala Kangsar. In 1959, he was offered to study at the University of Malaya and graduated in 1962.

Career

• Administrative and Diplomatic Service (1962)
  
• Second Secretary and subsequently First Secretary at the Malaysian Embassy, Bangkok, Thailand (1963)
  
• First Secretary at the Malaysian Embassy in the Federal Republic of Germany (1967)
  
• Councellor at the Malaysian High Commission in Singapore (1968)
  
• Director-General of ASEAN Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and General-Director of ASEAN (1970)
  
• Deputy Chief Representative of Malaysia to the United Nations in New York (1970)
  
• Minister at the Malaysian Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand (1975)
  
• Secretary, Political Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1976)
  
• Ambassador to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, in Hanoi (1978)
  
• Ambassador to Japan
  
• Ambassador to Switzerland, and concurrently served as the Malaysian Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva (1980)
  
• Secretary-General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Tan Sri Ahmad Kamil was given the task of organizing matters pertaining to 'Conventional Diplomacy', i.e. matters pertaining to bilateral relations between Malaysia and other countries. He also took the role of a mediator in finding the way out to solve problems that might have arisen, apart from establishing new relations with countries which want to establish relations with Malaysia. Emphasis is also given to welfare such as giving aid from the aspect of security aspect to the countries that experience problems in pursuing 'Conventional Diplomacy'.

In appreciation of his services and contributions, he was bestowed several honours and awards by the Malaysian government and other foreign countries.

The awards include the Kesatria Mangku Negara (K.M.N.) in 1975, the Johan Mangku Negara (J.M.N.) in 1980, the Dato' Paduka Cura Si Manja Kini (D.P.C.M.) in 1982, the Dato Setia DiRaja Kedah (D.S.D.K.) in 1988, the Darjah Panglima Setia Diraja (P.S.D.) in 1989, the Panglima Setia Mahkota (P.S.M.) in 1992, 'The Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant' from Thailand, 'The Grand Cordon of the Order of The Rising Sun', the 'Commander of the National Order of Merit' in 1998 and the 'Commander of the Legion of Honour' in 1999.